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Saturday, October 6, 2018

Dr. Keith Whittington gives a speech at the Konover auditorium as to why free speech is an important tool to be used on college campuses. He then answered questions from students, some of which discussed tolerance and the effects of hate speech. (Brandon Barzola/The Daily Campus)

Dr. Keith Whittington’s discussion of free speech on
college campuses Wednesday night came on the heels of a string of controversial
speakers that came to the University of Connecticut last year. Dr. Whittington,
a professor of politics at Princeton University and author of the book “Speak
Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech,” offered a relevant and
neutral take on the role of the modern university has in the complicated task
of accommodating opposing views and the value of higher education in general.

“It is difficult to listen to those who
disagree with us,” Dr. Whittington said, an idea which he reiterated throughout
his presentation. “(But) it is important to accept ideas even if we do not
tolerate them ourselves.” He made a distinction that the problems society faces
are not unique to our generation. Instead, they are the general problems of
Americans living in a liberal society.

Dr. Whittington spoke of the unique role
of colleges in inviting speakers and, in general, being a learning community in
which all kinds of ideas can be expressed and discussed.

“Essential to the core mission of a
university, it is important to advance the truth” Dr. Whittington said. “(Universities)
are all about trying to understanding the world better… trying to improve our
understand the world, and trying to communicate what it is that we’ve learned
about the world.”

According to Whittington, the
cultivation of an environment that exposes students to diverse ideas as well as
offering them the opportunity to express different ideas, is what makes the
college campus crucial to the social maturation of a student body. Dr.
Whittington explains the importance of avoiding speakers who may be delivering
more dangerous speech, such as the harmful spreading of misinformation by Sandy
Hook conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, in comparison to more controversial
speakers who should still be allowed to speak on campus, despite the
disapproval of others.

“Universities should provide security to
events with controversial speakers, instead of altogether shutting down the
event,” Dr. Whittington said. Ultimately, the tricky task of determining who
should be allowed to speak at the university is a controversial matter. This
was seen at UConn last fall, when the presence of Ben Shapiro, a conservative
political commentator, and Lucian Wintrich, a far-right political speaker, made
waves in the UConn community, especially considering the violent and
controversial aftermath.

Wintrich’s event last November ended
with his arrest, as well the shattering of a window and a smoke bomb being set
off. Following Shapiro’s speech in January of this year, protests were held
outside the room and, counseling was not offered to anybody negatively affected
by his presence on campus. Thus began the discussion of how free speech
operates on campus. This was furthered by Dr. Whittington’s insights on the
overall benefits a student may experience when encountering ideas in opposition
to their own.

Dr. Whittington’s presentation was
followed by a robust question and answer section with the audience. Many of the
students’ questions centered around the concern they had for the hate speech
they may encounter under the principle of free speech on campus, and where to
draw the line at information that is helpful or hurtful. Overall, Dr.
Whittington addressed the question with openness to both sides of the argument.
He reiterated that all kinds of ideas should be considered and to learn for oneself
what will help enrich a student’s learning.

Director of the Human Rights Institute,
Kathryn Libal, raised the question of a university’s faculty involvement and
learning of free speech on campus. She spoke of a class at her university that
was shut down because of its topic: sexual orientation. Faculty should have as
much of a role advocating for free speech as students and administrators.

Students that attended the event
appreciated Dr. Whittington’s openness and neutrality when discussing free speech.

“What he discussed is very relevant to
us as college students, and it’s important to understand and listen to opposing
ideas,” Corey Akel, a third-semester economics major, said.

“Even if none of my classes deal with
politics, I definitely understand the importance of free speech, especially
when so many other people have different ideas on campus.” Katarina Rothstein,
a first-semester marketing major said in agreement with Akel said, “I liked how
he addressed both sides, which doesn’t normally happen,”

In our tumultuous political environment, Dr. Whittington’s
idea of political awareness and the learning and open environment of
universities raises important points for students on college campuses as they
transition to American society and face more controversial ideas of free
speech.

Hollie
Lao is a campus
correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at
hollianne.lao@uconn.edu.

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